(SportsNetwork.com) – James Shields aims for a third straight victory on
Wednesday evening when the San Diego Padres resume a four-game series with the
slumping Colorado Rockies.
Shields took a no-decision in his San Diego debut back on April 6, but has
followed up with wins over San Francisco and the Chicago Cubs. He escaped last
Friday with a 5-4 victory against the Cubs after getting charged with four
runs — three earned — on five hits and two walks over six innings.
“I didn’t have the greatest stuff today,” said Shields. “The team did a great
job today coming back to pick me up.”
Shields struck out nine versus Chicago and has fanned 24 over 19 innings. The
right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.79 earned run average in three career outings
against the Rockies.
While Shields is looking to extend a win streak, Colorado hurler Kyle Kendrick
has dropped two outings in a row after winning his Opening Day start on April
6 with seven scoreless innings.
Kendrick has yielded 14 runs and walked nine batters over his losing streak,
roughed up for six runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 7-3 setback to the Los Angeles
Dodgers on Friday.
“My command wasn’t there. I was just trying to be too fine,” said Kendrick.
The righty is 4-2 with a 4.08 ERA in seven career games against the Padres,
all but one of those starts.
The Padres have won the first two games of this series to extend the Rockies’
losing streak to five in a row, using a big eighth inning to claim a 7-6 win
last night.
Yangervis Solarte and Wil Myers both drove in runs during the frame to tie the
contest before Derek Norris smacked a two-run double to put San Diego up for
good.
Myers went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored while Clint Barmes added a
solo homer for the Padres, who have won three straight and six of seven.
“I’ve said all along we like this group of players,” said San Diego manager
Bud Black. “When we picked our team we felt good about it.”
Nick Hundley drove in two runs for the Rockies, including a solo homer off
Padres closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning to account for the final
score. Charlie Blackmon also drove in a pair of runs in defeat.
“This was a tough one to lose because the guys kept fighting the whole game,”
said Colorado manager Walt Weiss. “We fought to the last out and just fell a
run short.”
The Rockies were 10-9 versus the Padres last season, winning seven of nine at
home.
